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October 29 2018 marks the 400th anniversary of the execution of a somewhat unlikely ‘traitor’, a man who will always remain of interest to Spenserians, one Walter Ralegh. But, then, perhaps, we should remember that so many traitors might seem ‘unlikely’ as they were figures close to the crown who fell out of favour as spectacularly as their fortunes had risen (think of Anne Boleyn, Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, Dr. Lopez). Even so Ralegh’s case continues to generate particular interest and we are grateful to Willy Maley for the suggestion that this issue of The Spenser Review might turns its attentions towards him. Accordingly, we solicited a range of responses to Ralegh’s life and legacy from academics in various fields. The results were both interesting and surprising, as well as pleasingly wide-ranging: the pieces that follow track the fertile ‘lie[s]’, outrageous postures and affective dynamics of his poetry outwards to events such as the toppling of statues of Confederacy heroes in the US last year. Clearly, we have not done with him yet. Read more…